The Whale

The Whale is a documentary that introduces Luna, a wild killer-whale living off Vancouver Island who befriends a community. His presence there draws conflicted emotions. This wonderful film shows many loving and playful interactions between Luna and people, in a beautiful Pacific Northwest setting. The way this Orca interacted with us (humans) is far beyond what is usual in the wild. The fact that this highly intelligent mammal sought people out for attention and affection, then communicated and interacted with them, is astounding. Such an amazing creature. People wanted to reach out and connect with this wild animal. Such a beautiful bond that this whale forged with so many people. Wildlife bureaucrats tried to protect him by limiting his contact with people. A whale researcher offered to try to reunite the whale with its family pod for free…no government involvement and on his dime. The wildlife bureaucrats rejected this offer, because they didn’t want the whale to be subjected to possible abandonment by his family. The situation was very complex, and warranted an entire film to cover its entirety. This film does a great job telling this compelling story gracefully, honestly, and openly. No over-dramatizing. Luna, his story, the people involved, the questions it stirred, are all worth learning about. I learned more about nature and mankind and think I’m better for it. It might have a profound impact on your sense of connectivity with all living creatures sharing our common journey through life on this planet. Luna’s such a beautiful creature. The people who were lucky enough to be in the presence of this majestic being were truly blessed. I wish I could have had the privilege to see him out in his bay. What an amazing experience it would have been. It was an unimaginable natural phenomenon that will more than likely never happen again in any of our lifetimes. I only dream that I could have such an experience, and yet, watching this movie, I feel like I have. This documentary is one of the best I have seen on the incredible nature of killer whales (actually the largest member of the dolphin family, and not a whale at all). Kudos to the folks who filmed this documentary, and everyone else who had a hand in this film. Ryan Reynolds narrating is a plus. Such a moving story — one of the most moving documentaries that I’ve ever seen. Not a big nature documentary watcher but for some reason I decided to watch this film. I’m glad I did. I was expecting the usual boring documentary about some animal. Awesome footage of a beautiful creature. Absolutely breathtaking. I fell in love with Luna! I highly recommend this to anyone, especially those with a love for animals, and those with a passion for understanding our place in nature. This movie had me laughing and crying. I cried from happiness as well as heart-break. Have Kleenex handy. By the end the tissues were out and my eyes were leaking. First I laughed, then I cried, then I smiled, then I sobbed… and sobbed. My heart aches for this beautiful creature. I’ll never forget this whale’s eyes. This movie forever changed my life — and it can change yours. Loved it. Don’t miss this one. I think that everyone should watch this. This documentary needs to be seen by more people, especially anyone who attends marine theme parks. Watch it if you love the relationship between man and animal. Documentary 2011 G 1hr 25m. *****THIS MOVIE IS A MUST-SEE!!***** Also see the films Killer Whales and Black Fish.